Please note: The following article appeared in the June issue of Bread as activists prepared to visit members of Congress on Capitol Hill. Reports from the days activities appear following the article.
Bread for the World activists from across the country are preparing for Lobby Day in Washington, DC, on June 16. This is an opportunity to personally visit our members of Congress in addition to the letters, calls, district office meetings, and other grassroots efforts that Bread members have already been making.
We are working to persuade Congress to take the next steps in making U.S. foreign assistance more effective.
On April 28, Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL) introduced the Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act of 2009 (H.R. 2139). The bill, which begins the process of making foreign assistance more efficient and transparent, will be heard in the House Foreign Affairs Committee after the Memorial Day recess.
Policy analyst Rachel Black, David Beckmann, Bread for the World president, and activist and former board member Pablo Sanchez organize letters for delivery to Capitol Hill. Sanchez personally brought 1,300 letters from members of his church to their representative in Congress.In a special push before Lobby Day, we asked churches and other groups who were holding Offerings of Letters in mid-May to send us their letters by overnight mail. At press time, more than 4,000 letters from 35 Offerings of Letters had arrived in our Washington office. Activist and former board member Pablo Sanchez personally brought 1,300 letters from members of his church, St. Louis Catholic Church in Miami, to the office of his representative, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), while Bread staff hand-delivered the others. Letters from diverse groups of religious leaders in targeted congressional districts were delivered as well.
Other activists called their members of Congress. Also during mid-May, about 1,400 calls were placed just through Bread’s Capitol Hill 1-800 number. National denominations and partner organizations have also asked their networks to call and email support for the Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act.
U.S. foreign assistance has accomplished a great deal for hungry and poor people. Thanks partly to Bread’s work over the past several years, poverty-focused development assistance has more than doubled since 2000. For fiscal year 2009, it amounts to $16.2 billion. Even with these increases, however, poverty-focused development assistance is less than one-half of 1 percent of the U.S. budget.
Development assistance helps immunize babies, educate children, strengthen transportation systems so that farmers can get their crops to market, make loans available to small businesspeople, provide antiretroviral medications so that people with HIV can continue working and raising their children—and the list goes on.
As Bread’s recent Offering of Letters videos show, poverty-focused development assistance means a better life for:
- Esther in Nicaragua, who has become the first person in her family to graduate from sixth grade;
- Catherine in Zambia, who plans to become an accountant despite having lost both parents to AIDS; and,
- Colette in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, who doubled her family income once she had the opportunity to learn business skills.
But we can do an even better job of using the resources available to attack the root causes of hunger and poverty.
A crucial component of reforming U.S. foreign aid is to develop and implement a comprehensive national strategy for global development. Currently, U.S. global development policies and programs are scattered across 12 departments, 25 different agencies, and nearly 60 government offices. “In the vast majority of cases, our assistance is being used to help lift people out of poverty, combat food insecurity, and promote stability and good governance all over the world,” said Rep. Berman in introducing the bill. “Yet without an effective and transparent system that tracks our assistance, it is difficult to document our successes.”
In addition to asking the House to pass H.R. 2139, Bread for the World is urging both the House and the Senate to introduce and pass additional legislation to strengthen foreign assistance. Rep. Berman has expressed his commitment to introducing a broader bill on foreign assistance reform later this year. In addition, there have been several Senate hearings on effective assistance. We are encouraged by high-level meetings that officials from the White House and the State Department are fully engaged in this issue.
For updated information on the progress of H.R. 2139 and the 2009 Offering of Letters, please visit our Web site at www. bread.org/OL2009. We will keep working for improvements that will pay off for hungry and poor people not only during the current economic crisis, but for years to come.
Updates from Lobby Day:
Lobby Day 2009, held June 16, was an enormous success! Some 320 participants from 38 states held more than 180 meetings with members of Congress or their staff.
By the end of the week, 11 more members of Congress cosponsored H.R. 2139, the Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act of 2009. The bill’s lead sponsor, Rep. Howard Berman (D-CA), received more than 25 phone calls from other congressional offices asking for more information.
As of June 22, H.R. 2139 had 46 cosponsors. More are set to cosponsor as a result of Lobby Day and your calls and letters.
We are preparing for the introduction of an initial foreign assistance reform bill in the Senate within the next few weeks.
Urge your representative to cosponsor and pass H.R. 2139, the Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act, introduced by Reps. Howard Berman (D-CA), chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Mark Kirk (R-IL). The bill is an essential first step in making U.S. foreign assistance more effective and streamlined. More coordinated and efficient aid will save lives. Also, urge your senators to support legislation that will better coordinate U.S. foreign assistance so that it is more effective in reducing poverty. We need to ensure that development, along with defense and diplomacy, is a foreign policy priority.
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20510
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20515
Capitol Switchboard: (202) 224-3121
By Derick D. Dailey
Derick Dailey and other activists plan their lobby visits at Bread for the World’s 2008 Lobby Day.The Epistle of James declares, “Faith without works is dead.” While this sentiment has guided my life for a very long time, it has taken on a different meaning since my experience at Bread for the World last summer. We cannot simply lean on our faith to effect change in the world. In addition to knowing that God is in control, it is essential to accept the fact that, many times, human actions deter the ultimate will of God. We the church must act on our faith to establish “God’s will here on Earth.”
As a Hunger Justice Leader, I learned what it truly meant to be an activist and an advocate. Bread has taught me the necessity of the church, most importantly the necessity of the church relative to public policy. In today’s society, we often call for a strict separation of church and state. But it is clear that certain issues of the state demand the attention of the church. One of those issues is world poverty.
Forty percent of people in the world today live on less than $2 a day. This statistic and the deprivation it represents are unacceptable and tremendously unjustified.
Just recently I presented a paper at the National Conference of Undergraduate Research on poverty and the church, entitled “Are You There God? It’s Me, Poverty.” This paper attempts to justify the importance and need of the church to involve itself in issues of poverty that affect so many people. This need is motivated by the mandate to seek justice and love mercy. Poverty is injustice. It is imperative that the church stand up and speak out.
While the church often knows of and responds to physical needs, there is a reluctance and timidity to serve as an advocate for hungry and poor people. The notion that the church should seek political justice is somewhat abstract for traditional congregations. Hence they avoid it.
The truth is that the church is called to be God’s hands and feet in this hurting and dying world. The fact that 26,000 children die each day due to preventable causes should shake the core of the church. Because of groups like Bread for the World, I am convinced that we can end poverty in my lifetime. But the only way to do that is to commit to the cause, endure the struggle, and keep the faith. Bread has done just that for 35 years. It not only saves lives, it fulfills the ultimate mission presented by Christ.
If not now, then when? If not us, then who? I am persuaded that the time is now. We the church are the people to change the course of history.
Derick D. Dailey will be a junior next fall at Westminster College in Fulton, MO. He was among the first class of Bread for the World’s Hunger Justice Leaders in June 2008. After that training, Dailey returned to his home in Arkansas compelled to study churches and religious groups and their effectiveness in tackling poverty. He galvanized several county leaders and helped start the Phillips County Poverty Commission. He was selected to present his poverty research paper at the 23rd National Conference of Undergraduate Research in Wisconsin. Dailey said, “It is because of Bread that I have been able to achieve so much in such a short time on the poverty issue. I am so grateful that I had this great opportunity and I look forward to continuing the work.”
Since the beginning of the year, Bread for the World President David Beckmann has spoken at a number of high-profile gatherings and meetings, raising awareness of hunger in the United States and worldwide.
In April, the second annual Georgetown Global Forum in New York featured keynote addresses by former President Bill Clinton and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Muhammad Yunus, founder of the Grameen Bank. Beckmann addressed the gathering on a panel, “The Faith Factor: The Role of Faith-Based Organizations in Global Development.” At the event, he spoke with President Clinton, thanking him again for speaking at a New York fundraiser for Bread in 2007. “I love Bread for the World,” Clinton told him.
Earlier in March, Beckmann spoke at the 47th Annual United States Senate Youth Program. More than 100 of the nation’s top high school juniors and seniors, who serve in elected leadership capacities at their schools, heard about Bread’s mission and received a general briefing on world hunger. President Obama, Supreme Court Associate Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, several senators and other government leaders also addressed the students. Also in March, Beckmann testified at a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on world hunger.
Ed Hoyt (left), Northeast Donor Relations officer for Bread for the World, and Leif Francel (right), a student at MIT in Boston, meet with Rep. Jim McGovern (D-MA).Legislation has been introduced in Congress to reform the way that the United States delivers help to people in need. (See story on page 1 for details.) The bill is called the Initiating Foreign Assistance Reform Act—meaning it’s a first step, and a vital one. We need to do more work this year to keep the pressure on to reform U.S. foreign aid.
Personal visits with your members of Congress are one of the most compelling ways you can speak out for hungry people. Your representatives and senators know that any constituent who takes the time to schedule a visit is truly committed. That visit makes an impression.
In September, your members of Congress will be on recess in their home districts. This will be an important time to build momentum around foreign aid reform. Plan now to visit them in their home offices then. Your Bread regional organizer can give you all the help you need to organize and prepare for a visit. See www.bread.org/about-us/contact-us/ to find out the name of your organizer.
Younger activists participate in Offerings of Letters, like these students in Texas, and are also likely to connect with Bread electronically.Bread for the World wants to hear from the people in its network as it sets organizational priorities and plans for the next three years (2010-2012).
Nearly 3,000 people responded to a recent survey that included both Bread members and the many people who now connect with Bread electronically, perhaps not making a financial contribution but often participating actively in our advocacy.
The survey results confirm that the people in Bread for the World’s network are highly motivated and exceptionally active.
They give Bread high marks on all four of the survey’s dimensions:
- How well Bread “represents your views and feelings on the issues”;
- How well Bread “keeps you informed about issues”;
- Satisfaction with “your experience and involvement with Bread”; and
- Bread’s effectiveness in fighting hunger and poverty.
We asked how they view the importance of various Bread activities and how well the organization does in each area:
- Educating members about hunger and poverty: 92 percent said this is very important for Bread, and 92 percent rated Bread’s performance as excellent or good.
- Lobbying effectively with the U.S. government: 89 percent said this is very important for Bread to do, and 74 percent rated Bread’s performance as excellent or good.
- Keeping members informed about relevant legislation: 87 percent said this is very important for Bread to do, and 89 percent rated Bread’s performance as excellent or good.
- Providing opportunities to take advocacy action: 82 percent said this is very important for Bread to do, and 85 percent rated Bread’s performance as excellent or good.
About 50 percent of those who responded said that they have taken three or more advocacy actions to support Bread for the World—writing or calling their member of Congress. In addition to their advocacy actions, about half support Bread financially. When asked for the top two reasons they support Bread, 62 percent responded that they “understand the importance of advocacy for fighting hunger and poverty.” About 50 percent said they “want to act on my Christian beliefs.”
Two-thirds of the respondents said that Bread emails or newsletters were among their top three sources of information about hunger and poverty. Most people are satisfied with the frequency of email (77 percent) and mail (68 percent) communications.
Nearly eight out of 10 respondents said that Bread should focus equally on domestic and international hunger and poverty issues.
“The survey affirms the strength of Bread’s grassroots network and provides us good insights as we plan our work for the next three years,” said Bread for the World president David Beckmann. “Thanks to all of you who responded to the survey.”
Additional inputs to Bread’s 2010-2012 plan will come from Bread’s recent grassroots retreat, staff and board consultations, and the ongoing development of a three-year communications strategy. Bread’s board of directors is expected to approve the 2010-2012 strategic plan during its meeting in November 2009.
Sr. Kathleen Weigand (left) with a couple from rual eastern Kentucky, where poverty and a strong sense of community coexist.Since President Johnson launched the War on Poverty there in 1964, Appalachia is trotted out every few years as the place where extreme poverty exists in the United States. In many ways, little has improved in 40 years. Of the 35 poorest U.S. counties, 29 are in eastern Kentucky, the heart of Appalachia.
But Sr. Kathleen Weigand, OSB, knows the people behind the statistics, and understands why, many times, people are forced to make difficult choices. She is executive director of St. Vincent Mission in David, KY, a social service agency that provides local residents with a food pantry, emergency assistance, and home repairs. St. Vincent’s was just named Kentucky’s Nonprofit Organization of the Year in May.
“There’s a family nearby. The mother left, and the father is unemployed. He’s raising three teenagers by himself now. He found a job that would pay less than he’s making drawing unemployment. And it was an overnight job. He’s supposed to leave three teenagers by themselves overnight every night?
“People do want to work. But there’s a split between a livable wage and what people are actually getting paid,” she said. Elderly, disabled, and working poor people—the mission serves them all at the food pantry. In 2008, they distributed 43,200 meals and 32,000 pounds of food. These families in turn contribute community service hours to help run the mission. St. Vincent’s is one of 13 food pantries in Floyd County. Nearly three out of every 10 residents in the county are poor. “There are no factories here. People work in service jobs, for the most part—at Wal-Mart, fast food, or convenience stores. They’re always the lowest paying jobs. That’s why people need our help,” Sr. Kathleen said.
“Even if people receive food stamps (now called SNAP), that doesn’t pay for personal care products. Things like toilet paper and laundry detergent. Families need those things, too.”
A Pittsburgh native, Sr. Kathleen initially came to the area with the Christian Appalachia Project to work for two years. That was 30 years ago. In 1985, she joined the Benedictine Sisters at the Dwelling Place Monastery in nearby Martin. The sisters have been Bread for the World members and supporters since 1993. Along with poverty, Sr. Kathleen sees strength.
“The Appalachian people are strong and resourceful. They’re survivors. People will pull together in the face of adversity.”
That sense of community is one of the reasons people, including Sr. Kathleen, stay in this impoverished—and much maligned—area, working every day to make it a better place for families to live.
“I have a passion for social justice, and Bread for the World matches that,” says longtime member and supporter Betsy Hendrix.
Betsy works at a military chapel in Northern Virginia. She greets visitors and lends an ear to those looking to talk. It’s easy to see how comforting chapel visitors would find her gracious style.
As children of the Great Depression, Betsy and her late husband Cliff grew up with a keen awareness of need and a determination to respond. They also understood the role that the U.S. government can play to help people in need.
So when they heard about Bread for the World’s mission, they began a decades-long partnership with us. They also instilled their spirit of giving in their three sons, who they raised in Northern Virginia, close to the nation’s capital.
“Living so close to Washington, DC, we were a politically aware household,” John Hendrix, Betsy’s son, says. “I remember my parents pointing out the undue influence of lobbyists for powerful companies. Bread for the World, they told us, used lobbying for positive change.” John also remembers Bread for the World newsletters and other materials as a constant presence on the family coffee table.
“My brothers and I grew up with the expectation that helping others is part of what we do as a family, and as Christians,” he continues. So when John got his first real job out of college, he called his mother, asking her for a few of the charities she recommended most highly. Bread was at the top of the list.
Betsy remembers the conversation well. “I am careful about what organizations I support. Like everyone else, I get contacted by a lot of charities. Years ago, I looked into the organization. And I was extraordinarily impressed with founder Art Simon and the dedicated staff.”
John says he and his mother are never as up-to-date as they’d like to be on all the reading they want to do. “Yes,” he laughs, “You will find Bread for the World newsletters on both of our coffee tables now” An investment banker for a large New York City firm, John specializes in insurance companies’ acquisitions and mergers. These are difficult times for his work. He recognizes certain similarities to the mid-1980s, when his parents became Bread for the World members.
“Nobody is really safe from the economic crisis that’s throwing so many lives into turmoil,” he says. “The crisis we’re seeing today reminds my wife and me how important it is to give.”
For her part, Betsy says that the lessons she learned as a child during the Depression continue to guide her awareness today. “So many can be helped,” she says. “There is no shortage of ways we can improve the world.”
In this time of great need and great opportunity, Bread for the World is thankful to Betsy and John Hendrix for their steadfast support for our mission.
You can establish a charitable gift annuity with as little as $2,500. It’s a way to guarantee yourself or your chosen beneficiary an annual income for life, and you may be eligible for income tax deductions. Creating a charitable gift annuity is also a way to help build Bread for the World’s Legacy of Hope for the future during our 35th Anniversary year. The ultimate proceeds from such an annuity support Bread’s long-term efforts to end hunger.
As with all legal and financial matters, you are encouraged to consult your professional advisor. For initial information, visit www.bread.org/give or call 1-800-822-7323, ext. 168.
